Periorbital hyperchromia (POH)—commonly known as "dark circles"—is a frequent complaint in dermatological practice. It affects all phototypes, genders and ages; its etiology is multifactorial and sleep disorders may be considered as a precipitating or aggravating factor.

A new study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology aimed to compare sleep quality—using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-PSQI—of patients with POH, to patients without POH.

This was a single-center, case-control study that included patients from both genders. Cases were patients with POH, whereas controls had no POH. Demographic data, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and PSQI were collected.

Overall, 303 patients were included – 149 cases and 154 controls, with a mean age of 35.83 ± 11.38 for cases and 37.52 ± 14.89 for controls. The results showed no significant difference between the groups. The DLQI revealed a mean of 4.86 ± 4.89 for cases and 2.25 ± 3.73 for controls, which suggests a modest effect in life quality. Meanwhile, the PSQI mean was 5.93 ± 2.52 for cases and 6.14 ± 3.58 for controls, which characterizes poor quality of sleep.

In inference, it was stated that dark circles impact negatively on the quality of life of patients, especially women. Contrary to the popular belief, sleep alone does not seem to influence the appearance of POH.

Source : Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2020 Jul;19(7):1760-1767.doi: 10.1111/jocd.13195.